I’m back with part of 2 mini-reviews for the books I’ve read so far this year. This does not include books where I’ve already written a full review.
Looking at my list of books waiting for a review (13 books plus a short story and a novella), it looks like there will be a part 3 coming after this.
Spell or High Water
This is the second book in the Magic 2.0 series by Scott Meyer. These books are pretty quick to read (or listen to), and have a quirky sense of humor. Good for those moments when you want a light and easy book.
Seven Days in June
I enjoyed this. It’s a second-chance romance story and moves pretty quickly. This would make a good beach read!
Radical Candor
I recommend this book a lot. This was my second time reading it, and I feel pretty much everyone should read it. It’s not just about giving and receiving feedback in a work environment; the topics here can also be applied to personal relationships.
The Art of Gathering
Another quick read. However, I feel this could be shortened into an article. Of course, the book gives a lot of examples, and the author shows how she uses what she’s learned personally. However, a condensed form or checklist would be useful for sharing the content/information, and for remembering it. I read this in May, and I feel like I already forgot a lot of the content.
Watership Down
One of my all-time favorite books. I re-read this every few years. It’s a classic and I will never not love this book.
The Lincoln Highway
I went into this expecting a road trip adventure. While Emmett and Billy do get an adventure, it was not what any of us were expecting. I really disliked some of the characters, and ultimately didn’t care for this novel very much. Also, Towles made a decision to dispense with quotation marks for the dialogue and often I found it very hard to decipher who said what in a conversation.
The Plot
A wild ride! Is the plot of a book ever a sure thing? I don’t want to spoil anything, but I found this intriguing, although I wasn’t surprised by the ending.
Smoke & Summons
Ah fantasy novels! This one captured my attention with interesting characters and the premise that certain individuals can be vessels for spirits (demons). Once summoned into, they are powerless as the spirits within them are compelled to do the summoner’s bidding.
Black Buck
A satirical novel that pokes a sharp stick at racism. Filled with humor despite touching on heavy topics, this was a quick, enjoyable read.
Firekeeper’s Daughter
This was our August book club selection. This is a YA/romance/crime-thriller. The story centers around Daunis, who is struggling to fit in, as she’s biracial and an unenrolled tribal member. So it’s also a story about race and coming of age. I enjoyed it but overall felt it was trying to be too many things at once.
Rubyfruit Jungle
Originally published in the 1970’s, this is a novel about growing up lesbian in America. It saddens me to think that some of the themes and problems highlighted here are still an issue today.
Less
As Arthur Less turns 50, he arranges for an 80-day around-the-world trip to avoid going to his ex-boyfriend’s wedding. It’s cute, it’s sappy, it’s a movie I’d watch if Neil Patrick Harris starred as Less.
Why Fish Don’t Exist
This is mostly a biography about David Starr Jordan with the author’s memoir wrapped inside. David Starr Jordan is famous for discovering about a fifth of all known fish and was the founding president of Stanford University. And it turns out he was a pretty horrible person. Spoiler alert – skip this one and instead read this: There is no such thing as a fish.